Becky Granger, Love her or hate her?

There's been a lot of chat for and against Becky Granger over on the Corrie.net guestbook. I for one, love Becky but a lot of people don't. Here's a bit of a history of Becky and a character study, up to the current Canadian timeline, end of July 2009.

Becky Granger first appeared on our screens as a down and out former cellmate of Kelly Crabtree. She was rough, rough as a badger's arse. Very likely homeless or living in a hostel or shelter. She latched on to Kelly who didn't want people to know of her criminal past that she'd managed to overcome. She got a job in the factory and moved in with Kelly and Lloyd. She stole and set up Kelly and she tried to steal Lloyd as well but it all fell apart. Kelly had to plead guilty, she lost Lloyd who didn't believe that Becky set her up and Becky left the Street. Her work here was done.

Only it wasn't. She made such an impact that she was brought back, this time she was brought into Roy and Hayley's world. Hayley was volunteering at an adult literacy class and encountered Becky there. She ended up taking Becky in, much to the disapproval of her mates in the factory who didn't trust Becky one little bit, with reason. Becky struggled to be accepted. Roy and Hayley gave her the chance and she blew it a few times. Once, by trying to do a good thing and cook for them, she caused a fire and once, by backsliding with her old drinking buddy and ex-boyfriend Slug, went joyriding in Hayley's car and got stranded in the countryside when Slug drove off without her. The car was recovered and eventually Hayley and Roy forgave her. She's tried very hard not to let them down since.

She's gone from strength to strength, and when Hayley left for Africa for charity work, Becky moved into Roy's flat in the spare room. Not only was she working in the caff but she was now living with Roy and two more different souls there never was! Becky baffled Roy but he grew to understand her even if he didn't always approve of her and her actions. They've fallen out and made up again a couple of times and the pairing is pure magic. Roy is supportive, a father figure that Becky never really had and Becky is fiercely protective of Roy and Hayley. Remember how she beat the crap out of Christian when he hit Hayley, having found out that Hayley is his biological father.

Becky's very quick with her fists and her body. She'll launch herself at anyone in a fierce attack if they've done her wrong. Jason was recently the receiver of this and she's also jumped on one of the Victoria Court builders who was dating her but had a wife at home. Jason had been dating her and in the beginning, he waffled about Sarah but seemed to settle down. But the chance that Sarah might come back home had him thinking he could get back with her and that left Becky in the dumps again. She felt second best and used and rightly so. She went after Jason then went out and got polluted and smashed up some windows on shops and cars and stole someone's wallet. Now, to keep herself out of jail, she has lied and said she's having an affair with Steve! Uhoh!

Every now and then we get a little glimpse into her past and her childhood and it sounds like she was neglected at best. She's had to rely on herself and she pretty much brought herself up, mainly on the streets. She's been in jail and survived. She's starting to drag herself up and make something of herself but she's got a long way to go. She's self destructive and that's going to take a long time to work out. She reminds me a little bit of Karen McDonald except Karen wasn't quite so destructive though she could be, at least emotionally. Becky is more of a loose cannon. They've softened her just enough to fit in. I don't think she's cruel or nasty, not anymore, though she's a bit selfish. She's very loyal to the ones she loves even if she doesn't always show it the way she should. (i.e. violence towards people that hurt her friends) She doesn't seem to have a self control switch though very slowly she's learning. She's gobby and loud, but she can also be funny and thoughtful. She's a hard worker and she's not afraid of anyone except her own demons.

There's so much more to come for us in Canada for Becky. She's going to be at the forefront for awhile and the storyline we're coming into now, with her lying about her affair with Steve is going to have a lot of fallout and lead into even more! But the road isn't going to be smooth and Becky hasn't changed. She's still got that self destruct button and that loose cannon still fires off unexpectedly. It's a bumpy ride but i have and will enjoy it all!

This week and next week.... don't miss it!

How can i write this without spoiling it? All i can say is.... this is a great week for Corrie! This will be a spoiler if you don't watch until Sunday but as it happened last night, technically it isn't one.

Tony has found out about Liam and Carla's kiss back a few months and he is watching, and coldly plotting. He's angry... no, he's royally pissed. He's a control freak and Carla is as much of a possession as she is a partner and someone's taken her away from him and that will not do at all. Can't you hear him say that in his accent? That will *not* do at all! He will NOT lost Carla especially not to Liam. On Tuesday's Corrie (last night as i write this) he knows that Liam was at Carla's and saw her in her wedding dress. That was earlier in the evening but when he went home, Liam was still there. (having shagged Carla) It was a bit squicky too, they'd just come out of the bedroom, him buttoning up, her in a robe, clearly just had sex. It didn't look like they'd showered yet so ..um...you know. sweaty and all that.

Enter Tony. The bed is probably still messed up. He kisses Carla and says she tastes nice. I won't tell you what went through my mind but if he suspects they just had sex, which they did, he'll have figured she had very recently been kissing Liam. Only Tony figures the affair has been ongoing all along, which it hasn't. Last night's sub-duvet action was the first time since they did it after Liam's baby died. Tony watched Liam from the balcony, his face like stone.

So...what is he going to do? In the UK, the next five episodes, three remaining this week for us and the ones on Monday and Tuesday aired five nights in a row, leading up to the big finale. Tony sets up his revenge over the next three nights and next week it all kicks off.

The lads have their stag night and the girls have their hen night. That in itself is odd because neither one of them really has any friends. Carla sort of has Leanne as a friend and Michelle is a former sister-in-law but they were never that friendly. Maria is there because of Liam i guess, because there's no love lost between Maria and Carla, let's face it.

For the stags, Tony has his best man/target, Liam and half the men from the street decide they're up for a party even if they don't like the groom or even, have barely exchanged three sentences with him since he arrived. Dev? Dev bought a flat from Tony's Victoria Street investment. Steve?? All i can figure is that they're both business owners. Tom? Tom parties anywhere anytime and tagged along with Liam. I think Lloyd and Jason are there too. Jason, i can see, because he was Tony's lacky for awhile. Lloyd? Because why? He drove Tony home last night in the cab? *shrug* What's creepy is they're all wearing Tony masks. Really. Creepy. What they get up to, i will leave for you to experience.

Just don't miss it!

Sunday Comments, July 26

Lines of the week:

• David "I'm no longer the baddest kid on the street. Respect to Rosie!"
  
• Sally to Kevin "You think i'm a trophe wife, you do" (Um, that's probably the last thing he thinks you are)
  
• Tony to Liam "I took one look at Carla and i thought of you" (I just bet you did)
  
• Jason "Becky. We need to talk"
  
• Becky "Hey, Grimshaw. Anyone ever tell you you're a waste of paint?"
  
• Becky to Janice "Says the biggest gob on the street" (that's debatable really)
  
• John to Fiz "Why couldn't you have said something before" (trust me, you'll remember that statement)
  
• Becky sobbing in Roy's arms "You're the only man i love that deserves it" (awwww)
  
• Leanne to Dan "You remind me of me Dad. The way you look me straight in the eye while lying through your back teeth!"

I write these comments, already knowing what's going to happen because i follow the UK storylines. It's not always easy trying to be spoiler free and sometimes i drop a hint. This week... one of the more difficult weeks not to drop lots of hints!! But all i can say, is don't miss the next few weeks of Corrie!!

Good old Roy, willing to help Becky find her own way. Problem is, Jason thinks Sarah might come home but didn't have the nerve to tell Becky who is exitedly busy painting and moving stuff in to their new flat only to find out on the day. But didn't you love the scene with Becky, Michelle and Kirk having fun moving the stuff in and pretending they were characters from Friends? Anyway, back to Jason mooning over Sarah, no wonder Becky went so out of control. It's not as if it's the first time he's waffled over Becky vs Sarah so she probably feels stupid along with very hurt, especially when he was too cowardly to tell her himself. She probably feels like second best, too. And when Becky lashes out she does it spectacularly, getting drunk, nicking someone's wallet with a lot of people standing inches from her, smashing shop and car windows. It's the mark of a good actor if they can play drunk believably and Katherine Kelly sure can! Steve was the one that managed to get her off the streets and poured into bed.

And after running off to Italy to try to see if Sarah really wanted him back, Jason found out that Sarah was only making noises about getting back together because she broke up with her boyfriend. Typical. So she's back with her boyfriend and Becky won't have anything to do with him either.

Poor Sophie is still suffering for attention. It's all Rosie, Rosie, Rosie. Rita gave her a hard time, too. She's such a clever kid but she IS still just a kid. The Websters are so worried that they're bickering and blaming each other now, for Rosie's disappearance and apparent disregard for her family. Carla is being very kind to Sally, proves that Carla does have a heart deep inside that cowy shell.

As truly awful as Janice can be, she does have a conscience. I'm not so sure Leanne does. Janice identifies with Sally, a rare occurrence but she does know what it feels like to have a child missing. Now they're stuck with the money and can't spend it because the police think Rosie stole it from the lottery winners and are freezing the account. Poor Sally is going crazy with worry, and the gossip drove her out of work in the middle of the day. So why was Kevin home?

Well now the truth is out about the lottery, maybe the police will start looking for her again. Will the factory bees ever forgive Janice for nicking their lottery win? Will they get it back? Janice did one good thing, she kept Leanne's name out of it but her schemes have cost her Roger, the one decent man she's ever been involved with.

Pam has finagled Tyrone into helping her sell her dodgey gear and lo and behold, he's actually good at it. He's too gormless looking for people to think he's cheating them.

So Theresa didn't get very far and Darryl of course, is going to feel sorry for her. She's got her feet back under the table and that's driven Mel out and away. If Tony's a self made man, so is Liam. With a little help from Paul. But Tony is far more ambitious than Liam. Wonder why we never saw John's Gran's cat during those few days that Fiz stayed with him there? Fiz certainly acts like she has never seen the cat before but John seems obsessed with it. And why did John seem a bit perturbed when Fiz said she'd have him back? Well they're back together and nobody is happy with it.

Odd Leanne didn't think it was strange that Steve and Dan were all of a sudden pally and going out drinking together. I didn't think they had too much to say to each other after that whole episode where Steve locked Dan in the cellar.

Tony's booked a posh weekend for he, Carla, Liam and Maria, mainly so he could keep a close eye on the rapport between Liam and Carla. He then terrified poor Liam in the caves and you know he probably has a healthy fear of heights and edges after falling off that mountain. All for asking him to be his best man! Tony's enjoying this, you can tell. He's making both Liam and Carla squirm. LOL he called Maria and Liam "Malaria" Bwaahahahaha Well it's clear Liam's mind is not on babymaking anymore, it's fully on Carla and she's marrying Tony.

Sunday Comments, July 19

Lines of the week:

• Steve "I need to knuckle down and be the perfect boyfriend"
  
• Liam "Only Janice... death in the family puts a big smile on her face!"
  
• Tony to Rosie "Carla is the woman i love. She's worth 100 of you, you stupid little girl"
  
• Roger to Janice "I'd love to see how you'd react if you won the lottery!" (um...)
  
• Sally to Sophie "Ey! You kids *are* our corny little sex jokes"
  
• Kevin about Rosie "Right now i can't wait to see the back of her" (you'll regret that!)
  
• Tony to Kev and Sal "Can we talk somewhere private" (Out on the street???)
  
• Carla "I'm sorry i gave you the wrong idea" (her lips say no but her eyes say yes yes yes!)
  
• 
  

That's it? Harry just rolls over and gives up? well neither Liz nor Clarissa want him so he might as well go find new ground. Aww i'll miss Harry even if he is a rotter. I liked the actor. And wasn't it nice to see real emotion between father and son? Dear heavens. He's only gone one day and has to sell up! Well, there's Leanne's share of the money. Janice wants a deposit for a flat, Dan wants money for the business, and they've only won 25K!

Janice actually does show a flash of guilt over the lottery ticket but Leanne has no problems doing the wrong thing. Leanne was bent on sitting on the money for a few days so as not to attract attenction but Janice just couldn't stand it and went out and bought a telly. But now, with Rosie disappearing, it is going to look like Rosie won the money and ran off with it. That's going to land Janice and Leanne in hot water, because it's bound to come out now.

Looks like Jerry is taking the younger kids and escaping to sunny Spain for a fresh start. It's too bad, you know, the Mortons had a rough start, and they didn't have anything to do for ages. Now, when they're finally getting a bit interesting, most of them leave!

Becky and Jason are moving into their own flat. Mawdsley Street is the one right behind the old side of Coronation Street. They seemed very cuddly and cute, didn't they? But uh oh, it sounds like Sarah might be coming back. Wonder how that's going to afffect Jason?

Oh jeez, Michelle's back. I didn't miss her at all, did you? Steve decides he has to get his act together and be a better boyfriend. Guaranteed that is going to jinx him. Tina is determined that her dad will hire David. She'll probably get her way, considering Gail will be happy David's got a job and Joe want's to impress Gail though nobody else realizes why.

Kevin is slowly managing to get his business back on track with a clunker of a breakdown towtruck. He's also lured the taxi contract back again. I guess that's the last we'll see of Tony's efforts to expand the factory. Poor Sophie still finding it hard with Rosie's shadow looming large over her. Finally she gets a bit of attention and pride from her parents. Probably short lived though, now that Rosie seems to have gone walkabout. John professed not to have anything to do with it and Tony said the same though he's got unaccounted for hours as well. The Websters looked right mugs in front of the police. They're accusing Tony of things but they've had run ins before with him, Rosie's got form going after older men, Sally was happy to let Rosie go off with Tony in the first place.

Rosie got a lunch with Tony as a consolation prize and Insufferable Sally is pleased that it's a working lunch with the boss. In which Rosie got legless on wine and stripped to try to seduce him. (I wanna know how she could afford a room in that place!) I don't think Tony would even consider it even if she wasn't his employee, but the worst thing of all is Rosie lashed out and showed him the damning phone video of Carla and Liam!!!!!!! Uh oh!!! Meanwhile, Carla is slinking after Liam, flashing cleavage and her baby blues and he's finding it harder and harder to look away. Tony made sure to tell Carla straight away that Rosie came on to him but if he didn't get home until 2 a.m., where was he since late afternoon? And where's Rosie? After all that, you'd think he'd have shut Rosie's phone off and why didn't Carla at least, recognize the ring tone? Surely she's heard it before? Tony has discovered Carla's involvement in LadRags. So she not only had (or is having) something on with Liam, she's keeping other secrets from Tony. Tony didn't keep the phone as evidence (he dropped it into the canal) and after overhearing Carla tell Liam "It ends here" and kissing him, has got the wrong end of the stick and thinks it's been an ongoing affair. More damning evidence. I think Liam should be very afraid.

Sunday Comments, July 12

Lines of the week:

• Julie about Carla "She's not as nasty as she makes out" (she's worse!)
  
• Lloyd about Vernon "The new Paul McCartney!" John "Leonard Cohn" (well LC can be rather depressing)
  
• Rosie to Stape "You are nothing but a loser!! And even Fiz can see it!" (she's going to regret that)
  
• Deirdre to Liz "I'd make an effort for Tom (Jones) even if you wouldn't. I'd shave me legs and everything"
  
• Tyrone "Molly wants what i want" (so you didn't actually talk to her about the garage then)
  

Norris was eager to find out the gossip. There's no way he'd be bringing home something from the kebab shop for either him or Emily otherwise. He just had to be where the action was. Struck paydirt too, when a drunken Teresa stumbled in and Norris couldn't get away slowly enough lol So Jerry's going to take the kids to Spain...for a holiday?

I gotta say, John calling down Fiz's friends is not going to endear her to him. Mind you, Julie pointing out the humiliating Christmas pressie was very much stab-in-the-back too, wasn't it? Still, i have no sympathy for Stape. He doesn't deserve it after what he did.

Holy Crap! Vernon sold a song!!! Nice that he's actually made some mates to congratulate him and commiserate over the loss of his muse. Yet another delusional spurned lover, taking entirely the wrong end of another stick and thinking "oohh she wants me, she really wants me" It's too bad he had to see Harry and Liz in the afterglow. Poor Vernon, though, Can't get a word in with Liz to tell her his good news and say goodbye, hoping against hope that she'd go with him. Deirdre was in floods reading Vernon's letter, it was sweet wasn't it, the letter? Clarissa is going to pin Harry to the wall too. Harry lied to Liz about his relationship with Clarissa, saying it was over when it wasn't. She didn't mind that she was shagging a married/involved man but didn't like the lies! Duh.

What was really sad was when Liz realized Harry was a rotter and a liar, she thought she would go with Vernon after all but as Deirdre pointed out, it's not the answer. It annoyed me that Liz was all teary the next day because she was sorry she didn't get to say goodbye to Vernon when he was trying to talk to her all day and she didn't have the time for him. Selfish cow. With Clarissa floating around, and knowing what a Beeyatch that woman can be, and knowing Harry is a player, why did she expect any different? Because, like a lot of men, Liz thinks with something other than her brain. So in the end, both Clarissa and Liz got their heads together set him up well and properly, marching him through the pub in just his underpants and a nod of grudging respect from Clarissa to Liz.

All of a sudden, the girls are all playing group lottery tickets and Janice is accusing Rosie of keeping the winnings. Why do you suppose that's just come up? Why it's going to feature in a new storyline, of course. Nothing comes out of the blue without reason. Well they won 25 grand but the girls ticked Janice off by not lying for her so Leanne is encouraging Jan to cook up a way to keep the money all for herself, sharing with her step daughter of course. And Janice wonders why her "mates" won't lie for her? It's all very contrived seeing as there's no way on earth those women would let Dozie Rosie be the keeper of the responsibility of checking the tickets. They'd be more likely to give it to Vikki, Sally or even Fiz. The plan fleshed out, using Rosie's name on a bank account with fake id. Then of course, Kevin turns Tony down and Tony turns Rosie down so Rosie flips out and tells Kevin how she betrayed him and how her mother thought Kevin should have sold, too!

Lloyd really is dumb as rocks, isn't he? picking up the wrong end of the stick with John last week and then sending John to pick up Rosie. And what is it with these young women that they're dressing up like little girls with cutesy pigtails but with plunging necklines and skirts barely skimming past their backsides? Stape seems to have flipped his lid, dragging Rosie into the cab, driving her out into a lonely road and taking her mobile. But in the end he only quoted poetry at her, talked a little crazy and took her home. He decided Rosie should leave? Why should she? Stape is ever the irresponsible and weak spineless Jerk. Rosie then played the victim so that her parents would be out for blood but only Sally believed her and John slickly lied his way out of it. Since Rosie has a history of "crying wolf", who's going to believe her now? She continued to rub Stape's face in it, snogging that bloke where he could see, further depressing him over the whole Fiz situation.

Why would Liam be ringing Carla to tell her that Tom got on the plane? Then he's making excuses to see Carla "on business". This isn't going to turn out well, it's just not. That was very clearly a flirting session in the office even if it wasn't your usual sort of flirting. They were most definitely sizing each other up.

Laughed at Becky talking about custom bras while a fried egg hung off Lloyd's fork. Not a lot of difference (Becky doesn't really have impressive cleavage without a lot of help from a Wonderbra).

Sunday comments, July 5

Lines of the week:

• Carla "I don't like lying, Liam" (but you're very good at it)
  
• Julie "I'm not a consumate liar" (But the day before she was bragging to Fiz how good a liar she is!)
  
• Nina to Dev "Are you throwing me over? From the moral high ground?"
  
• Sean about Fiz's "flu"... "A couple of days on your back do you the world of good!" (ahem.)
  
• Blanche about Number 6 "You get the carpets, curtains and homicidal tendencies when you move in there"
  
• Blanche to Fiz and John "Once a tom strays, they never settle again, unless you get them doctored"
  
• Liam "I reckon there's a thin line between love and hate" (watch this space)
  
• Teresa "We can make a fresh start" Jerry "*We* can, yeah. Without you. Now sling yer 'ook!"
  
• Julie "Us Carps love the water" (well they would, wouldn't they)
  

Ooh Fiz and Stape spent the night in his Granny's house. Lovely garden at Granny's, too bad it'll all go to weeds because i doubt John will look after it. He'd rather just quote poetry at it. Looks like a nice house though. Little room at the top too just for John. (watch this space). THey're going to keep their relationship secret so what does he do? Bring her flowers in front of everyone. That man has a very strong passive aggressive streak doesn't he? Very manipulative. Blanche had a field day with the gossip and everyone else is too. And in the face of all the gossip and negativity, Stape didn't get what he wanted after all, just a door shut in his face. And he didn't manage to win over Maria either. Everyone slags John off and then end up slagging off all the other workers' fellas. Way to make friends.

Can Fiz stay her ground in the face of such adversity? He wants to take her away from her mates and everything she knows. Dangerous sign, isolating someone. Lloyd made it sound as if John had already decided they should move when if you listened to the original conversation, John was only trying to think of what to do. He only came up with the idea of moving to his Gran's house during that convo so of course he'd not had time to talk to Fiz about it yet. But his attitude... implying that Chesney is a little obstacle to be sorted. Their fragile reconciliation crumbled. Would you give him a second chance?

Jason's committment alarms are ringing again. Bill's picked up on the fact that Becky probably wants her and Jason to get a place of their own. She's already living with him but i guess a flat is more permanent. He seems ok with it now but will he get cold feet?

Why on earth would Dev make Amber get in the car to drive her 20 feet to the corner shop. Well i think Amber and Darryl make a cute couple even if they did only go out together in the first place to wind up Dev. So much for Dev chucking Nina. It didn't last very long before they were canoodling on the sofa and hiding from Prem which freaked Dev out. Was wondering why Dev had to buy chocolates at the Kabin but i guess Norris is right, he probably doesn't sell the expensive kind. Dev has now met Nina's beautiful daughter and Nina kept trying to make him look as bad as she could. Jealous of her daughter?

Poor Mel really has been thrown for a loop and feels horribly guilty and is on a mission to avenge Abbi. Teresa has decided she'll help and since Mel is a cop, Teresa took matters into her own hands and heels! Left to the imagination of course! Astonishingly, Mel actually thawed a little to her mother. Mind you, it got dark awfully fast and the amulance practically appeared out of thin air. Teresa only had time to get back to the table from the loo before the ambulance sirens were howling. Anyway, Teresa is probably going to use Mel's good mood to try to worm her way back in again but it nearly got her Jerry's big fist in her face. I'm not surprised he snapped after everything she's done to him, in the past and then trying to kill him. Reminiscing isn't doing any good.

Unfortunately, Mel's soft spot didn't last long once she overheard what her mother had done to her father and now the secret is out. Mel arrested her own mother!! Go girl! Teresa deserves to pay for it even if she wasn't trying to kill Jerry. She nearly did and that's attempted manslaughter but Jerry, ever the good guy, won't press charges. Mel had better be careful or she'll lose her job. Poor Kayleigh really feels bad, too, and guilty. Funny to see Gail so friendly with the Mortons now after the rough start they had, isn't it?

The Websters are back from holiday and Tyrone has shut the garage and is nowhere to be seen. Everyone thinks he's in Blackpool but he's sold his body for science!

After last week's photo fiasco, Norris is going to be bending over backwards sucking up to Emily so she'll leave him her worldly goods. I can't for the life of me think why she would though. And if he didn't know what was in the will before and he doesn't now, why on earth would he think he was in her will? He's moaning about not owning his own home. He owns half of a business, could he not get a mortgage on the strength of that? Why is he so worried about Emily's will? they aren't married. Just shut the heck up Doris.

Ooh Leanne. Not seen her in awhile. Back to Liz and Harry with Whats her name laying down the law to Harry. Love Liz and Clarissa trading barbs. Harry keeps sniffing back at Liz's skirts in spite of Clarissa but i think Liz has the real measure of him now. And Lloyd is being paid by both Clarissa and Harry to spy on both of them.

Liam just can't stay away can he? Even though Maria wouldn't like it, wouldn't it be better just to tell Maria the truth? Now there's trips to New York and both Liam and Tom want to go. Maria is more intent on baby making so that's that. Carla's right, Liam doesn't wear the pants in that family.